No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

A series of interpretive dialogues with one object relations, couple therapy, case study were performed to research the role of projective and introjective identification within an intersubjective context. The method, Gadatner's (1993) philosophical hermeneutics, involved a dialectical moving back and forth between the more intrapsychic standpoint of the case study and the intersubjective perspectives of philosophical hermeneutics and recent object relations thinking (Ogden, 1994). These interpretive dialogues became written mediations yielding increasingly coherent and in depth understandings of projective and introjective identification. The mediations delineated three turning points in the case study. In each, projective and introjective identification was critical to understanding the marriage's conflict and possible repair. Further interpretation of these turning points yielded an understanding of projective and introjective identification as a part of what Klein (Ogden, 1989, 1994) and Fairbairn (1952) have called the paranoid-schizoid position, as opposed to the higher functioning depressive position. Ogden's (1994) contention that these positions are in dialectical relationship, and not developmentally exclusive, avoided the objections (Kemberg, 1974) (Meissner, 1974) that projective and introjective identification is a psychotic defense mechanism. While most couples are in the depressive position, the mediations revealed that under stress, couples regress to the paranoid-schizoid position, where projective and introjective identifications render the relationship chaotic but also repairable through the re-enactment of old conflicts. Projective and introjective identification also was central to the process of transference and countertransference by which the therapist gained understanding of the couple and enabled then1 to work toward repair. Projective and introjective identification was understood as an intersubjective process that occurred between persons, as opposed to some form of mind invasion. This intersubjective perspective enabled the research understandings to be highly interpersonal without denying the richness of the intrapsychic world. As a research method, philosophical hermeneutics proved, as anticipated, unwieldy, circular and highly dependent on the researcher's interpretive abilities. However, this method was highly commensurate with the subject matter at a depth inconceivable in a quantitative analysis. This post-modem method valued the relationship between subjects over objectivity in a way that was congruent with therapy relationships and helpful in understanding them. / Ph. D.

This study is a multi-case study which examines the experiences of participants involved in a 12-session integrated couples treatment program for domestic violence. Participants included 7 therapists and 5 heterosexual couples. 3 couples participated in individual couples treatment, and 2 participated in a multi-couple group treatment. 2 of the couples were Black, while all other couples were White. 4 out of 5 couples were married; one couple was in a committed dating relationship. All therapists were trained in marriage and family therapy. All participants filled out open-ended questions about their expectations for therapy and participated in two interviews to elicit their experiences of ongoing therapy. Interviews were tape-recorded and transcribed, and data were analyzed using the constant comparative method. The findings include clients' and therapists' expectations of therapy prior to treatment, and their experiences of therapy during the first half of treatment. Participants discussed which aspects of therapy were helpful, and which aspects of therapy were not helpful. In general, clients emphasized helpful therapist behaviors and qualities that seemed to facilitate their engagement in the therapy process. Therapists tended to focus on specific techniques they employed to facilitate changes in their clients. Participants most often criticized the treatment length as insufficient. Participants also shared their views about the racial difference between therapists and clients, or among group members in the multi-couple treatment group. Most participants believed that racial difference had no effect on the treatment. Finally, participants shared their opinions about traditional domestic violence treatment versus couples treatment of violence. / Master of Science

This was an exploratory study of the experiences of 26 clients and 5 therapists participating in a research project testing a manualized multi-couple treatment program for domestic violence. The purpose of this study was to understand the experience of clients and therapists in participating in a research study with the hope of informing researchers who are seeking to make manualized treatment programs more effective. Despite a low level of conscious awareness of the research project, clients and their therapists provided a rich set of data. From the clients, the themes revealed views on how little the research project seemed to affect their therapy, and how the research project reinforced their learning and changes and allowed them to feel they were making a contribution to others. The therapists felt challenged to balance their roles with the research project's requirements. Theoretical fit was not an issue, but their comments inform the body of research on research participation. The therapists reported the model worked well, but early on they had to struggle with components. The study found that clients appreciate being asked their views through the treatment. Both therapists and clients recommend using a thorough check-in/check-out process with domestic violence. Therapists recommended that any fielded programs should include an ongoing evaluation process. Also, when clients and therapists believe that participating in a research project may help others and that they are participating together in something special, the therapeutic process may be enhanced. These elements appear to be easily incorporated into conventional therapy and may generate the same beneficial effect observed in this project. / Master of Science

O objetivo desta pesquisa é esclarecer uma possibilidade de atendimento fenomenológico existencial direcionado a casais. Para isso, questiona a prática do próprio autor, dando a ver seu modo de ser psicólogo junto a casais. Ao introduzir a pergunta norteadora como pode ser um atendimento fenomenológico existencial com casais, a pesquisa revela três pontos fundamentais aos quais se debruça para aprofundar: 1- o horizonte histórico no qual o tema tem sido apresentado e questionado, permitindo-lhe que se pergunte, nesta pesquisa, por uma possibilidade outra de atendimento de casal; 2- O modo específico desta possibilidade pela perspectiva fenomenológica existencial, permitindo que a pesquisa retome o percurso do autor junto à fenomenologia existencial, esclarecendo-a como seu modo de compreensão do existir humano, modo esse que marca a pesquisa em sua compreensão do fenômeno pesquisado; 3- a quem se destina o atendimento: o casal. Deste modo, a pesquisa busca considerar e suspender concepções previamente determinantes sobre casal, buscando uma descrição fundada na possibilidade de realização do existir. A partir do esclarecimento destes três pontos a pesquisa pode voltar-se para a pergunta norteadora, em um diálogo do autor com sua prática e com outros autores que se dedicam ao tema, para revelar outra possibilidade de ação psicológica autoral: atendimento fenomenológico existencial com casais / The aim of this research is to clarify a possibility of existential phenomenological therapy towards couples. To do so, the research examines the authors practices, revealing he´s way of being psychologist with couples. After introducing the guiding question what is it like an existential phenomenological therapy with couples?, the research reveals three key points to which it looks for deepening: 1- the historical horizon in which the theme has being introduced and questioned, allowing it to be questioned in this research for another possibility of couples therapy; 2- The specific way of this possibility, an existential phenomenological perspective, so the research resume the author´s course in existential phenomenology, clarifying it as he´s understanding of human existence, as well as clarifying it as the research´s way of understanding the researched phenomenon; 3- to whom the therapy is destined: the couple. Thus, the research pursues considering and suspending previously determinant conceptions about couples, searching for a description founded in the human possibility of existence. From the clarifying of those three points the research could look to the guiding question, towards a dialog between the author and he´s practice and between the author and other couple therapy authors, to reveal another possibility of psychological action: existential phenomenological therapy with couples

Este trabalho objetivou conhecer o processo de busca e a clientela atendida em terapia de casal e família. Para tanto, realizaram-se dois estudos. Inicialmente, através de uma revisão sistemática da literatura, foram identificados seis fatores associados à busca pelas terapias de casal e família: fatores pessoais, relacionais, culturais, de gênero, estratégias anteriores de ajuda e tipo de problema. Posteriormente, através de um estudo empírico, a clientela atendida em terapia familiar em uma clínica-escola de Porto Alegre (RS) foi caracterizada. Foram realizadas entrevistas estruturadas com 41 adultos encaminhados para terapia familiar, nas quais foram investigadas variáveis sociodemográficas e familiares, o processo de busca de ajuda, o problema apresentado, tentativas anteriores de ajuda utilizadas e expectativas sobre o tratamento. Os resultados permitem reflexões sobre a prática clínica com famílias em clínicas-escola, especialmente a respeito do envolvimento dos clientes no processo terapêutico e à transição da queixa para a demanda desde o período de avaliação inicial. / This research aimed to investigate the help seeking process and the clients attended in couples and family therapy. To achieve this objective, two studies were realized. First, a systematic literature review identified six factors associated with the search for couples and family therapy: personal factors, relationship factors, gender, cultural aspects, prior sources of help and type of problem. After that, a second study characterized the clients attended in family therapy in a school clinic located in Porto Alegre (RS). Structured interviews with 41 adults referred for family therapy were realized. Sociodemographic and familial variables, the search for help process, the main problem, the prior sources of help and the expectations about the treatment were investigated. These results allows reflections about family therapy practice in school clinics, especially about the involvement of the clients on therapeutic process and the transition from the first complaint to the real demand since evaluation period.

Extensive interdisciplinary common factor research has identified the therapeutic relationship as a consistent factor influencing therapeutic outcomes. We use Polyvagal and Interpersonal Neurobiology (IPNB) theories to guide an examination of the physiological mechanisms at work in the therapeutic relationship. Both Polyvagal and IPNB theories provide understandings about how humans are neurophysiologically wired for social connection. Each points to a sense of safety as being essential for meaningful connection to occur and clarifies that physiological attunement is an observable indicator of interpersonal connection. In this study, we use these theories to guide an examination of therapist physiological influence on clients in couple therapy, using continuous in-session data collection of respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) for 22 heterosexual married couples and their therapist. Data were modeled in a multi-level path analytic framework to account for within-individual and within-couple effects. Results indicated that therapist RSA does not significantly predict lagged client RSA. A discussion of potential limitations, suggestions for therapists and recommendations for future study is included.

Finn (2007) recently outlined procedures for applying Therapeutic Assessment (TA) techniques to work with couples. The current study used a time-series design to follow three heterosexual couples as they took part in a TA intervention. Participants were couples who were involved in ongoing couples therapy at the time of the study, but who felt they were not making satisfactory progress in therapy. Participants completed brief, daily measures of relationship satisfaction before, during, and after the TA. In addition, couples completed longer, standardized measures of relationship satisfaction, psychological symptomatology, and therapy progress. Qualitative feedback about the TA was also elicited from couples and their therapists. A time-series analysis revealed that all six participants reported significant improvement on at least some daily measures of relationship satisfaction, and that many of these improvements were sustained over a four-week follow-up period. In addition, four of the six participants reported fewer psychological symptoms at follow-up. Finally, qualitative feedback from participants revealed that all three couples and their couples therapists found the TA intervention to be a largely positive, useful experience. / text